Time travel, quick transmigration

"Yan Yan, the Crown Princess, Consort Wu, and Consort Liu are gathered together talking badly about you. Uh... it should be said that they are gossiping about Yang Yuhuan."

"In her previous life, Yang Yuhuan and her sister Yang Yuyao were strolling in the Imperial Garden when they happened to run into the Crown Princess. Wu Xianyi and others were mocking and gossiping about her behind her back. She was very upset when she heard those hurtful words."

Upon hearing of this, Shi Yan immediately planned to lead Li Longji to catch them in the act. Besides, Consort Wu had previously hired assassins to try and kill her, making her an enemy. Now that she was gossiping about her behind her back, Shi Yan was determined to teach her a lesson.

Shi Yan and Li Longji entered the imperial garden, surrounded by a group of palace attendants. Chrysanthemums in snow-white, golden, crimson, and orange-red were in full bloom, and the golden osmanthus blossoms on the osmanthus trees, scattered about in a pleasing arrangement, emitted a delicate and sweet fragrance.

Shi Yan smiled and looked at Li Longji as if it were nothing.

"Your Majesty, look, the hibiscus flowers over there are in bloom. Shall we go and take a look?"

Li Longji readily agreed.

The two walked together toward the pavilion where several hibiscus trees were planted.

Crown Princess Wei, Consort Wu Jinyao, and Consort Liu were resting on a stone bench after strolling around the Imperial Garden.

"Yesterday's imperial concubine conferment ceremony was truly magnificent, as you all witnessed. The moon-shine brocade that Lady Yang wore was not only a rare and priceless piece of Shu brocade, but her outer robe and skirt were also embroidered with phoenixes and peonies in gold thread by the most skilled embroiderers in the palace. Furthermore, the crown she wore, with its golden phoenix holding a pearl hairpin, were all rare treasures, unique in the world. Our Emperor has truly gone to great lengths for Lady Yang."

The speaker was a beautiful woman with delicate features, dressed in a light green palace dress. Her almond-shaped, bright eyes clearly held a hint of envy, and her tone also contained a touch of sourness.

Upon hearing this, Wu Jinyao recalled the breathtakingly beautiful face she had seen in the main hall yesterday, the astonished and infatuated gazes of the courtiers fixed on the woman in her magnificent attire, whose beauty was unparalleled, and the tender expression on the face of the emperor she admired in front of everyone. Annoyed, she momentarily forgot the occasion and spoke recklessly.

"I don't know what kind of seductive tricks Madam Yang used, but yesterday, all those men in the main hall seemed to have lost their souls when they saw her."

Wu Jinyao's words undoubtedly resonated with the Crown Princess. She and the Crown Prince were also present at the investiture ceremony yesterday. She had seen the Crown Prince's expression and felt quite unhappy for a while, especially when the Crown Prince looked at his father and beloved concubine leaving together with such a lost and forlorn expression. As the Crown Prince's legal wife, how could she accept that her husband was having feelings for her father's concubine?

"Yang Yuhuan is a shameless vixen who seduced her own father-in-law. Not only did she seduce the Emperor into losing his decorum, but she also openly flirted with him in the main hall in front of all the civil and military officials and envoys from various countries. If it were me, she would have been too ashamed to face anyone and would have killed herself."

Not far away, Shi Yan, Li Longji, and their entourage clearly heard the arrogant words of Wu Xianyi and the Crown Princess.

Li Longji's face had visibly darkened to the point of being as black as ink, like the bottom of a pot.

Shi Yan hadn't expected Wu Xianyi and the others to speak so recklessly and without restraint. She glanced at Li Longji beside her, who was suppressing his anger and was about to explode, and decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Your Majesty, I was prepared to accept the criticism of the world, but... I am saddened. Even though I have tried my best not to let Your Majesty's reputation be damaged because of me, things still didn't go as planned."

"Your Majesty, it's Yang Huan's fault for coming to Your Majesty's side..."

As she spoke, she choked up. After a moment of quiet preparation, two tears streamed down her face. Without waiting for Li Longji's comforting words, she turned and left with Xiao Die.

The sight of a beautiful woman shedding tears was truly irresistible, and Li Longji felt a pang of heartache.

"Yu Huan, don't be sad... I..."

Seeing Shi Yan walking further and further away, Li Longji wanted to go forward and chase after her.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Princess, Consort Wu, and Consort Liu, who had started their discussion, were completely unaware of the impending storm and talked even more enthusiastically.

Li Longji suddenly stopped and decided to stay and see what else they would say.

With his head down and not daring to make a sound, Gao Lishi reached out and touched his forehead twice, wiping away the cold sweat that had seeped out.

“What the Crown Princess said makes perfect sense. If I were Yang Yuhuan, I would have no face to live in this world. I don’t know why His Majesty was bewitched by her. He can’t see any other beauties in the palace except for her.”

"Leaving aside people like us, how is Consort Mei of Zichen Palace not a hundred times better than Yang Yuhuan...?"

Although Consort Liu, who always held herself in high regard, did not agree with Consort Wu's advocacy of Consort Mei Jiang Caiping, she still chimed in with her opinion.

“Sister Wu is right.”

Jiang Caiping had only come out to stroll in the garden and relax, but she never expected to suddenly become the center of gossip.

"Your Majesty, what are these people up to, comparing you to that Yang woman?"

Lianqiao lagged a few steps behind Jiang Caiping, looking indignant.

Jiang Caiping glanced at her lightly.

Lian Qiao immediately shut her mouth.

Jiang Caiping turned her head and looked at the three women in palace attire sitting under the stone pavilion. Just as she was about to leave, not wanting to get involved in trouble, she caught a glimpse of a bright yellow dragon robe hidden by a hibiscus tree. Her expression immediately changed and she gave up the idea of ​​leaving.

Jiang Caiping gracefully stepped out from beside the stone pavilion and slowly walked to Wu Xianyi and the others.

"The autumn scenery is so delightful, why are you all gathered here gossiping instead of enjoying the view?"

"I advise you all to be careful with your words, lest you bring trouble upon yourselves."

Jiang Caiping's sudden appearance shocked and stunned the people present. However, seeing her aloof and arrogant demeanor, which seemed to be lecturing others, they all felt a sense of displeasure.

"Oh, who do we have here? It's our most virtuous and noble Consort Mei! What's wrong? Have you fallen out of favor with His Majesty and are you here to cause trouble? I don't know what you're up to all day. Why don't you learn some of Yang's seductive tricks and see how you win back His Majesty's heart..."

Jiang Caiping was not angry at being ridiculed. Her original intention was to stop Wu Xianyi and others from saying anything more outrageous that would anger the emperor.

Unexpectedly, Wu Xianyi turned out to be a fool.

Looking up at the emperor emerging from behind the hibiscus tree, Jiang Caiping's heart sank, and she slowly bowed down.

"His Majesty!"

The sound of "Your Majesty" startled the people sitting on the stone benches, who immediately stood up and turned around in disbelief and fear. When they met Li Longji's dark face and his eyes blazing with anger, they could no longer hold on and knelt down on the ground, trembling.

Li Longji walked coldly to Wu Jinyao, whose shoulders were trembling slightly and who was silent with her head down. He lowered his eyes and looked down at her, thinking to himself...

"Ignorant and foolish woman."

Wu Jinyao was terrified. She was unsure how much Li Longji had heard, and thinking of her treasonous words, she felt that she was about to face a great calamity.

"Your Majesty, I am my concubine..."

She mustered her courage and raised her head, gazing pitifully and sorrowfully at the emperor's frosty face, hoping to gain a sliver of pity.